Corrosion inhibitor composition



Patented Aug. 21, 1951 CORROSION INHIBITOR COMPOSITION Homer 1!. Haggard, Wilmington, Del., aseignor to Hercules Powder Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application June 3, 1950, Serial No. 166,064

14 Claims.

This invention relates to corrosion inhibitors and more particularly to corrosion inhibitors for aqueous solutions which normally corrode metals.

Stabilized rosin amines such as hydrogenated rosin amines and dehydrogenated rosin amines are known to have the property of inhibiting corrosion of metal surfaces when applied to the surfaces in an unctuous solvent. Although these stabilized rosin amines and their salts have been found useful in unctuous solvents, they have not been found to be suitable per so as inhibitors of corrosion in aqueous solutions as in mineral acid solutions used in the cleaning of metals. Moreover, the amines themselves have not been satise factory in neutral or alkaline water.

Now in accordance with this invention, it has been found that aqueous compositions normally corrosive to metal surfaces are inhibited toward corrosion of such metal surfaces when they contain dissolved or dispersed therein in small amounts a composition consisting of to 50% of a primary rosin amine and a complement of a material of the formula R0 (CHzCHzO) mH having a molecular weight between about 700 and about 2000, where R is a radical selected from the group consisting of abietyl, hydroabietyl, and dehydroabietyl and where m is an integer such that the molecular weight is within the abovedesignated range. The inhibitor compositions of this invention are particularly effective as inhibitors for mineral acids such as hydrochloric acid used in oil well acidizing and in boiler cleaning. Their effectiveness in inhibiting corrosion of ferrous metals by such mineral acids is much greater weight for weight than the effectiveness of any of the components taken separately. There is thus a synergistic effect in the compositions as shown hereinafter in the examples which illustrate the use of the compositions of this invention.

As examples of the present invention, tests were made on the corrosion of low carbon steel plates in inhibited and in uninhibited hydrochloric acid solutions at 165 F. for four hours. The technique of carrying out the tests was as follows:

To samples of 15% hydrochloric acid were added, in an amount of 0.2% by weight of the acid, the materials designated in the table. The inhibited acids were then thoroughly stirred at 165 F. to effect complete dispersion of the added inhibitor materials. To each of these solutions was added a weighed freshly polished low carbon steel plate (2 inches square) at 185" I". and the solutions were maintained at that temperature for four hours. The plates were then weighed for weight loss as a measure of corrosion. For comparison, an uninhibited hydrochloric acid solution was also tested. The per cent corrosion is calculated by dividing the percent weight loss of the plate in the inhibited acid by the per cent weight loss of the plate in the uninhibited acid.

The results are recorded in the table.

Table Inhibitor Composition gar qgm orros on my" itor in Moi. Wt. Per Cent Anao$t of l Dehydrogenated rosin amine 8 2. l2 2 Polyethylene glycol ether of dehydrogcnated rosin alcohol 1504 19.!) 3 Polyethylene glycol ether of dehydrogenated rosin aloohol 1 4 100 19,70 4 Polyethylene glycol ether of dehydrogenated rosin alcoho] 4 100 19.22 6 Polyethylene glycol ether of dehydrogenated rosin alcohol H 724 mo 18. 0 Polyethylene glycol ether of N-wood rosin alcoh 946 100 10. 05 7 {Compound 1..- 283. l5 0 Compound 2.. 1604 86 8 ompound l. 283 15 0% Compound 3-.- 1164 85 9 {Compound l 283 10 l Compound 3. 1164 00 l0 {gg$ 283 5 3.35 pound 3 1164 11 {Compound 1. 283 1!. 0f r3$$l3i i3 o l 4 12 igompoung 4 x ompoun l s s :2

ompoun {Compound 5..- 724 85 15 {Compound l 283 16 1 s e: 2;: s

ompoun 1o {g gg :33 g 1.2a

ornpoun 17 {Compoundfi 946 95 Similar tests have shown that there is a synergistic effect in the inhibitor properties of ordinary rosin amine rich in abietylamine and hydrogenated rosin amine containing both dihydroabietylamine and tetrahydroabietylamine when used in combination with monoethers of polyethylene glycols and rosin alcohols, hydrogenated rosin alcohols or dehydrogenated rosin alcohols wherein the molecular weight of the other is at least about 700 and within the me of about 700 to 2000. This synergistic effect is also observable in aqueous solutions of all types which are corrosive to metals such as distilled water, tap water, boiler water, water used in automobile radiators with or without alcohols, glycols, and other freezing point depressants used in automobile radiators, hydrochloric acid solutions used for oil well acidizing and descaling of metals, aqueous brine solutions containing sodium chloride, mixed calcium chloride-magnesium chloride and similar brines used for refrigeration purposes, whether or not containing ammonia.

The class of materials, which when used in combination with the various rosin amines gives the enhanced corrosion inhibiting eflect, is a polyethylene glycol ether of the general formula RO(CH2CH2O)1||H wherein R is the abietyl, hydroabietyl, or dehydroabietyl group. Such compounds having a molecular weight of at least 700 will have a sufllciently long polyethylene glycol chain to make the useful compounds water dispersible. The minimum value of m will thus be about 10 and the maximum value about 40.

The synergistic effect will be noticeable with compositions having from 5 to 50% rosin amine or stabilized rosin amine in combination with a complementary amount of the polyethylene glycol ether but since rosin amine is not easily dispersible in water or soluble in strong mineral acids, as much as 50% of the rosin or stabilized rosin amine will ordinarly only be used in compositions for use in dilute acids such as l to 2% hydrochloric acid. For use in solutions of higher mineral acid concentration, particularly above about concentration, or in solutions of very low or no free acid concentration, the rosin amine or stabilized rosin amine will be used in lower percentages of the composition, say, from 5 to 25%.

The amount of inhibitor composition used in aqueous solutions will ordinarily be quite low. Only suflicient to inhibit corrosion will ordinarily be used and this will vary from about 0.01% to about 5 of the aqueous solution depending upon the particular inhibitor composition. For the most active inhibitors, as may be selected from the table, the amount ordinarily used will be about 0.1 to 3% based on the weight of the aqueous solution to be inhibited.

The ethers of polyethylene glycols are most readily made by condensing the rosin alcohol or stabilized rosin alcohol with ethylene oxide in the absence of water and in the presence of an alkaline catalyst until the desired amount of ethylene oxide has combined to produce a molecular weight of the product in the range of 700 to 2000. The preparation of such products is described in U. S. 2,194,429.

The rosin amines used in the compositions of this invention are the rosin amines which are prepared by reacting ammonia with a natural rosin or a modified rosin to form the nitrile from the carboxyl group in the rosin and then hydrogenating the rosin nitrile 0r modified rosin nitrile to form the amine. The preparation of the nitrile may be carried out by passing gaseous ammonia into the molten rosin material and vaporizing the water as fast as it is formed in order to remove the water from the reaction mixture. Dehydration catalysts may be used to facilitate the reaction with ammonia, if desired. The nitrile is preferably purified by neutralization or distillation to make it suitable for hydrogenation to the amine as the presence of acidic matcrials frequently destroys the hydrogenation catalyst. The nitrile may be formed from any natural rosin or modified rosin such as gum rosin, wood rosin, hydrogenated rosin, dehydrogenated or disproportionated rosin, or heat-treated rosin. The rosin nitriles may likewise be made from the rosin acids which are major constituents of these rosins such as abietic acid, dihydroabietic acid. dehydroabietic acid, and tetrahydroabietic acid.

The resin acid nitriles prepared from the natural or modified rosins or the corresponding rosin acids are readily hydrogenated to the amines. The hydrogenation is usually carried out by heating the rosin nitrile at about to 200 C. with a Raney nickel catalyst under hydrogen pressure up to about 8000 lb./sq. in. The hydrogenation may also be carried out using other catalysts such as Raney cobalt, supported nickel or cobalt catalysts and noble metal catalysts such as platinum, palladium, palladium-on-carbon, or reduced platinum oxide. The reaction may be carried out under hydrogen pressure of from about 200 to 8000 lbs/sq. in. and at a temperature of from about 20 C. to about 200 C. Solvents may be used if desired and are preferable at the lower temperatures. The hydrogenation may also be carried out in the presence or absence oi ammonia. Although the hydrogenation is ordinarily carried out only to the extent of hydrogenation of the nitrile group which hydrogenates quite readily, the hydrogenation may also be carried out under such conditions of temperature, pressure, and time of hydrogenation as to hydrogenate the rosin amines which are produced to convert them to hydro-rosin amines which correspond to the amines produced from hydrogenated rosin via the nitriles.

For convenience of expression in this specification, the abietyl, hydroabietyl, and dehydroabietyl radicals are referred to with the intention that they be considered broadly as covering rosin materials containing those radicals as major constituents. Thus, the products derived from rosin are considered to have the abietyl radical as a major constituent, the products derived from hydrogenated rosin are considered to have hydroabietyl radical as the major constituent, and dehydrogenated rosin is considered to have dehydroabietyl radical as the major constituent. Abietylamine is thus considered synonymous with rosin amine, hydroabietylamine is considered synonymous with hydrogenated rosin amine, and dehydroabietylamine is considered synonymous with dehydrogenated rosin amine. Similarly the alcohols or ethers produced therefrom containing the abietyl radical are considered synonymous with the natural rosin alcohols or ethers, those containing the hydroabietyl radical are considered synonymous with the hydrogenated rosin alcohols or ethers and those containing the dehydroabietyl radical are considered as synonymous with the dehydrogenated or disproportionated rosin alcohols or ethers. It is not intended, however, to exclude the possibility of minor amounts of each of the various rosin amines or polyethylene glycol ethers in any of the rosin amines or polyethylene glycol ethers referred to by specific chemical names.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: I

1. A corrosion inhibitor composition for addition to aqueous solutions normally corrosive to metal surfaces consisting essentially of 5 to 50% of a primary rosin amine and a complement of a material of the formula R (CHzCHzO) mH RO(CH2CH20) mH having a molecular weight between about 700 and about 2000, where R is a radical selected from the group consisting of abietyl, hydroabietyl, and dehydroabietyl and where m is an integer such that the molecular weight is within the abovedesignated range.

3. A corrosion inhibitor composition for addition to aqueous solutions normally corrosive to metal surfaces consisting essentially of 5 to 50% of a hydrogenated rosin amine and a complement of a material of the formula RO(CH2CH20)1I|H having a molecular weight between about 700 and about 2000, where R is a radical selected from the group consisting of abietyl, hydroabietyl, and dehydroabietyl and where m is an integer such that the molecular weight is within the above-designated range.

4. A corrosion inhibitor composition for addition to aqueous solutions normally corrosive to metal surfaces consisting essentially of 5 to 25% of a primary rosin amine and a complement of a monoether of polyethylene glycol and a rosin alcohol, the molecular weight of said ether being between about 700 and 2000.

V 5. A corrosion inhibitor composition for addition to aqueous solutions normally corrosive to metal surfaces consisting essentially of 5 to 25% of a primary dehydrogenated rosin amine and a complement of a monoether of polyethylene glycol and a rosin alcohol, the molecular weight of said ether being between about 700 and 2000..

6. A corrosion inhibitor composition for addition to aqueous solutions normally corrosive to metal surfaces consisting essentially of 5 to 25% of a primary hydrogenated rosin amine and a complement of a monoether of polyethylene glycol and a rosin alcohol. the molecular weight of said ether being between about 700 and 2000.

LA corrosion inhibited aqueous composition comprising an aqueous solution normally corrosive toward metal surfaces selected from the group consisting of aqueous brine solutions and aqueous mineral acid solutions, said solution containing dispersed therein, in small amounts sufficient to inhibit corrosion of metal surfaces by said solution, the composition of claim 1.

8. A corrosion inhibited aqueous composition comprising an aqueous brine solution normally corrosive toward metal surfaces containing dispersed therein, in small amounts sufiicient to inhibit corrosion of metal surfaces by said solution, the composition of claim 1.

9. A corrosion inhibited aqueous composition comprising an aqueous mineral acid solution normally corrosive toward metal surfaces containing dispersed therein, in small amounts suliicient to inhibit corrosion of metal surfaces by said solution, the composition of claim 1.

10. A corrosion inhibited aqueous composition comprising an aqueous mineral acid solution normally corrosive toward metal surfaces containing dispersed therein, in small amounts sufilcient to inhibit corrosion of metal surfaces by said solution, the composition of claim 2.

11. A corrosion inhibited aqueous composition comprising an aqueous mineral acid solution normally corrosive toward metal surfaces containing dispersed therein, in small amounts suflicient to inhibit corrosion of metal surfaces by said solution, the composition of claim 3.

12. A corrosion inhibited aqueous composition comprising an aqueous mineral acid solution normally corrosive toward metal surfaces containing dispersed therein, in small amounts sufficient to inhibit corrosion of metal surfaces by said solution, the composition of claim 4.

13. A corrosion inhibited aqueous composition comprising an aqueous mineral acid solution normally corrosive toward metal surfaces containing dispersed therein, in small amounts sufficient to inhibit corrosion of metal surfaces by said solution, the composition of claim 5.

14. A corrosion inhibited aqueous composition comprising an aqueous mineral acid solution normally corrosive toward metal surfaces containing dispersed therein, in small amounts sumcient to inhibit corrosion of metal surfaces by said solution, the composition of claim 6.

* HOMER H. HAGGARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTB Number Name Date 2,194,429 Krzikalla Mar. 19, 1940 2,510,063

Bried 'June 6, 1950 

1. A CORROSION INHIBITOR COMPOSITION FOR ADDITION TO AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS NORMALLY CORROSIVE TO METAL SURFACES CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF 5 TO 50% OF A PRIMARY ROSIN AMINE AND A COMPLEMENT OF A MATERIAL OF THE FORMULA 